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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27377926">you and me together (is more than chemistry)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/raspberryghoulaid/pseuds/raspberryghoulaid'>raspberryghoulaid</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Julie and The Phantoms (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Compliant, Character Turned Into a Ghost, Developing Relationship, Drabble, F/M, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Love, Luke Simping for Julie, juke</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 12:09:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,944</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27377926</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/raspberryghoulaid/pseuds/raspberryghoulaid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>a collection of moments of Luke coming to terms with his feelings for Julie.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alex &amp; Luke &amp; Reggie, Julie Molina/Luke Patterson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>215</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>you and me together (is more than chemistry)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>this fic is kind of all over the place, i know. i kinda just wrote down a bunch of thoughts i had while watching these scenes, and my perspective of Luke's thoughts during these moments.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>1. </strong>
</p><p>Luke doesn’t know what to make of this new girl at first, the one that brought them back to life. The only thing he’s certain of is that she doesn’t seem to like him, or any of them for that matter, and she’s not interested in their music. That part stings just a little bit, because, well, <em>Sunset Curve</em> is arguably the greatest band of all time (at least, in his mind it is) and the fact that this girl appears completely disinterested in that is a huge blow to his ego, though he’ll never admit it.</p><p>But then she sings, and it’s like the heavens opened up and the sun came out from behind the clouds, because her voice is earth-shatteringly beautiful and ethereal and he’s never heard anything like it in his entire life. She sings and he knows immediately the rest of the world needs to hear her, to share the feeling of utter awe he was feeling right now. Alex and Reggie seem to agree with him, as a look of wonderment passes between the three of them.</p><p>They dematerialize then, outside of the studio and the bubble of sanctity that had manifested the moment she’d opened her mouth, because it’s too soon. Too soon for them to jump into this, this whatever that was slowly creeping up on them; the impending awakening that the four of them coming together wasn’t just an accident. Luke shakes himself off when Flynn passes them on her way inside the studio, and him, Alex, and Reggie seem to have come to a mutual understanding, because none of them broach the subject just yet.</p><p>Luke may not know alot about this girl, but if there was one thing he was slowly starting to come to terms with, it was that them coming together was only the start of something undeniably extraordinary.</p><p> </p><p><strong>2.</strong> </p><p>He knows it the moment he materializes on that stage alongside Alex and Reggie, the moment Julie advances closer to him, extending her mic towards him in an invitation he accepts eagerly. The energy around the two of them is electric, unlike anything he’d experienced in his all his days performing in <em>Sunset Curve</em>. Alex and Reggie swap amused expressions, and Luke will most definitely blame it on his chemistry with everyone, but right now all he can focus on is her, the way she moves flawlessly around the stage as if it was built for her.</p><p>Luke had always believed that it was him that owned the stage, that in the movie of his life he was the main character, but seeing Julie now, in her element, he knew that role had quickly changed. She was always going to be the star of his show, and he couldn’t deny it anymore, at least not to himself. There was no way he’d ever admit it to Alex, or Reggie, or Julie anytime soon, but it could be his secret for now. A huge weight lifted off his shoulders that only drove his performance.</p><p>And when Julie smiles at him from across the stage, and he winks at her, he blames it on the chemistry.</p><p> </p><p><strong>3.</strong> </p><p>He hadn’t meant to miss the school dance, he really hadn’t. He just got so swept up in the excitement of feeling another step closer to figuring out this whole ghost thing, and the adrenaline he felt at Caleb’s club that was still coursing through his (nonexistent) veins as he stood here in front of her now. It all faded away, however, when he saw the disappointment in Julie’s expression, the way her eyes shone with affliction and her shoulders hung with defeat. He’d let her down, and it was going to take a lot more than a bit of charm and spoken apologies to make up for that this time.</p><p>“You know what really sucks?” She sighs, meeting his gaze. “Our songs were good. And all three of you knew what I’ve been through, and how tough it’s been for me to play, and then you do this? Bands don’t do that to each other.” Her eyes pierce right through his and straight to his soul. “<em>Friends</em> don’t do that to each other.”</p><p>She tells him that this was a mistake, that <em>they</em> were a mistake, and it sends him over the edge. “Julie….” Luke takes a step towards her, but she draws away sharply before running from the gymnasium. “Julie!” He calls after her, but she doesn’t respond. She doesn’t come back. He doesn’t dare look at Alex or Reggie, because he knows if he does they’ll see the tears in the brims of his eyes, and their pity is not something he needs right now.</p><p>He hadn’t meant for it all to turn out like this. He hadn’t meant to shatter her.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>4.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh, and by the way, happy birthday. </em>
</p><p>The way she says it puts a grin on his face, and he feels his heart threaten to break out of his ribs-that is, if he had a heart, or ribs. The feeling is there, though, and it envelopes him and eases the cold that seems to be constantly surrounding him ever since he came back. He doesn’t stop to ask himself how she knew it was his birthday, saves that question for another day. Right now, the relief that the band is back together is enough to satisfy him and so he grabs his guitar and flashes her one of his signature smirks.</p><p>“Alright, boss, where we at?”</p><p> </p><p><strong>5.</strong> </p><p>They’ve shared a mic more times than Luke can count, but there’s something more intimate, more special in the way she slides over just slightly so he can perch himself next to her on the piano bench. He leans in to the mic hanging between them, and only then does he realize how close they are, how much closer they are than they’ve ever been, and without thinking he lets his gaze trail to her lips. Lyrics, lyrics they wrote<em> together</em> spill past them as she grins at him, and it’s contagious enough to draw a smirk from him as well. The stage lights illuminate her tanned skin and soft features, entrancing him long enough that he isn’t even aware the song is over until Julie nudges him, and the roaring applause suddenly registers in his ears.</p><p>What would’ve happened if he kissed her just then, if he <em>could</em> kiss her? The thought alone is too much for Luke to handle, and he dematerializes from the studio in a heartbeat, leaving Julie to soak in the praise and admiration on her own. Alex and Reggie would badger him relentlessly if he confided these feelings in them, so he keeps them to himself for now (completely and utterly clueless of the fact that his bandmates had figured it out far sooner than he himself had). And when he finds Julie in the studio the next morning, looking even more radiant than the night before, he suppresses his awe and reminds himself that <em>this cannot happen</em>.</p><p> </p><p><strong>6.</strong> </p><p>The first time he reaches out to hold her hand, it’s instinctive, something he’s done to Alex and Reggie dozens of times over when he just needs something to grab onto, to ground him. The look on his mom’s face as she read the song he wrote for her is still fresh in his mind, the tears that had fallen down her cheeks an aching pain in his heart that he doesn’t believe will ever truly heal. Julie showing his mom that song was supposed to be closure, so why does it feel as if the wounds he’d buried for twenty-five years have suddenly reopened?</p><p>It creates a wave of emotion that threatens to drag him under, and he reaches for Julie to keep him steady. Except their skin doesn’t meet, and he only feels colder when his hand passes right through hers. Julie purses her lips and looks away from him, drawing her hand back to her side. He hears her sigh, as his fingers curl into his palm. This isn’t how it’s supposed to be. Whatever higher fate drew them together had played a cruel trick if he couldn’t even touch the girl he loved.</p><p>“This is an interesting little relationship you and I have.” He laughs, mostly out of satire. Julie glances at him, just briefly, and Luke can see the smile playing on her lips. She then tells him about how their video is trending on something she calls <em>Youtube</em>, and how that’s a good thing, and the moment is forgotten for now. Luke is grateful, because it pulls his attention back to what really matters: the band, their music-it’s the most important thing right now and he shouldn’t have let whatever this thing was between him and Julie distract him from that; not that he even fully knew what that thing was yet, if anything.</p><p>She grins at him, and his heart aches even more, because he knows those smiles are all he’ll ever really have, fond memories of lingering gazes and shared laughter and late night song-writing sessions that seem to occupy the entirety of his mind these days. So when he finally tells her about finding his unfinished business and crossing over, he pretends to be happy about it, because he knows it's what’s best for the both of them.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>7. </strong>
</p><p>He’s going to die, he’s accepted that now. They’re going to die, him and Alex and Reggie, and they’re never going to see Julie or be able to make music again, but it’s worth it. He’d rather die a thousand deaths than make music with anyone else but her and his bandmates. There’s another stab at his chest, but he stifles the pain. And when Julie throws herself at him and hugs him tight, he’s far too wrapped up in making the most out of every moment he has left with her to even realize what’s happening.</p><p>“I love you guys.” She cries into his shoulder, and he feels a surge of adrenaline rush through him. She’s pulling away then, her eyes wide as they meet his, and it’s only then he registers the warmth of her skin against his and the solidity of her body beneath his palms.</p><p>“How can I feel you?”</p><p>“I don’t know.” Luke’s gaze travels her expression, watches her lips part and her eyes light up, her hand grazing his cheek as she pulls him closer. He cradles her face in his hands, a smile stretching across his lips as he laughs in disbelief. Her fingers trail down and rest over his heart, and he envelops them with his own, hoping she can feel the love he has for her that resides within. The way she’s looking at him makes him feel stronger, and he never wants that feeling to go away.</p><p>All of a sudden this thing between them doesn’t seem so unrealistic anymore, so hopeless. He can hold her, and feel her, and maybe that’s enough. Maybe none of the reasons he’d used to keep him from telling her how he truly feels matter anymore as long as they have each other, and he loves her, and maybe, just maybe, she loves him back. He’d happily spend an eternity waiting for her if it meant they could be together. He has his bandmates, and he has her, and it’s all he really needs.</p><p>Julie smiles at him, a smile unlike any of the others they’d shared. Luke looks to Alex and Reggie, and they don’t have to speak for Luke to know exactly what was on everyone’s minds.</p><p>“I think the band’s back.”</p>
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